Causal association between cerebral small vessel disease and epilepsy.

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is known to increase the risk of epilepsy, but the causal relationship between the two remains unclear. This study utilizes Mendelian Randomization (MR) to assess the genetic link between SVD and epilepsy, incorporating additional analyses including colocalization, gene-set, and pathway analysis to provide further evidence for shared mechanisms. We performed a two-sample MR study using 13 SNPs strongly associated with SVD as instrumental variables to assess their causal relationship with epilepsy.

Clinical risk factors to predict prognosis in wake-up stroke patients: A retrospective study.

This study aimed to develop and validate a clinical risk model based on clinical factors to predict prognosis in patients with wake-up stroke (WUS) after multimodal magnetic resonance imaging combined with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator intravenous thrombolysis. The study enrolled 263 patients with WUS, who were divided into the training (n = 162) and validation cohorts (n = 101). In the training cohort, patients were stratified based on modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days after thrombolysis, with mRS ≤ 2 indicating a good prognosis (n = 117), and mRS > 2 indicating a poor prognosis (n = 45).

Enhancing glymphatic fluid transport by pan-adrenergic inhibition suppresses epileptogenesis in male mice.

Epileptogenesis is the process whereby the previously normally functioning brain begins to generate spontaneous, unprovoked seizures. Status epilepticus (SE), which entails a massive release of neuronal glutamate and other neuroactive substances, is one of the best-known triggers of epileptogenesis. We here asked whether pharmacologically promoting glymphatic clearance during or after SE is beneficial and able to attenuate the subsequent epileptogenesis.

Anti-seizure effects of norepinephrine-induced free fatty acid release.

The brain's ability to rapidly transition between sleep, quiet wakefulness, and states of high vigilance is remarkable. Cerebral norepinephrine (NE) plays a key role in promoting wakefulness, but how does the brain avoid neuronal hyperexcitability upon arousal? Here, we show that NE exposure results in the generation of free fatty acids (FFAs) within the plasma membrane from both astrocytes and neurons. In turn, FFAs dampen excitability by differentially modulating the activity of astrocytic and neuronal Na, K, ATPase.

Dysregulation of extracellular potassium distinguishes healthy ageing from neurodegeneration.

Progressive neuronal loss is a hallmark feature distinguishing neurodegenerative diseases from normal ageing. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Extracellular K+ homeostasis is a potential mediator of neuronal injury as K+ elevations increase excitatory activity.

Citalopram in the treatment of elderly chronic heart failure combined with depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Depression is an independent factor to predict the hospitalization and mortality in the chronic HF patients. Citalopram is known as an effective drug for depression treatment. Currently, there is no specific recommendation in the HF guidelines for the treatment of psychological comorbidity.

The effect of intensive family-centered health education on the awareness rate, diagnosis, and treatment of post-stroke depression in community families.

Objective: To investigate the effects of intensive family-centered health education on the awareness rate, diagnosis, and treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD) in community families.

Methods: Elderly patients (60-90 years) from 20 community service centers affiliated with the Department of Neurology and the Medical Association of Tongling Municipal Hospital who had been diagnosed with stroke between January 2017 and June 2020 were screened using the hospital and community electronic medical record system. In this randomized cluster trial, 119 patients from 10 communities were assigned as the control group and received routine community treatment, while 126 patients from the other 10 communities were assigned as the experimental group and received routine treatment plus family-centered intensive health education.

Imaging characteristics, misdiagnosis and microsurgical outcomes of patients with spinal dural arteriovenous fistula: a retrospective study of 32 patients.

Background: Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) is an extremely rare spinal vascular malformation. As SDAVF exhibits no specific clinical manifestations nor diverse imaging results, it is easily misdiagnosed, resulting in delayed treatment and irreversible neurological damage. Most patients were initially misdiagnosed, but there were few reports on reducing misdiagnosis.

An evaluation of the efficacy and safety of thrombolysis in patients with wake-up stroke using the combination of inflammatory factors Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein with multi-mode magnetic resonance imaging.

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of using thrombolysis in patients with wake-up stroke (WUS).

Methods: The serum IL-6 and hs-CRP levels of the patients in both the experimental group and the standard group were measured before thrombolysis and at 1 and 24 h afterwards. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHHS) scores were also recorded at the same time points as well as at 10 and 90 d after thrombolysis, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were calculated before thrombolysis and at 10 and 90 d afterwards.

Atrial Fibrillation and Depression: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2001 to 2021.

Background: The control of diseases related to atrial fibrillation (AF) may reduce the occurrence of AF, delay progression, and reduce complications, which is beneficial to the prevention and treatment of AF. An increasing number of studies have shown that AF is associated with depression. However, to date, there has not been a bibliometric analysis to examine this field systematically.

Comparative genomics provides insights into the aquatic adaptations of mammals.

The ancestors of marine mammals once roamed the land and independently committed to an aquatic lifestyle. These macroevolutionary transitions have intrigued scientists for centuries. Here, we generated high-quality genome assemblies of 17 marine mammals (11 cetaceans and six pinnipeds), including eight assemblies at the chromosome level.

Draft Genomes and Comparative Analysis of Seven Mangrove Rhizosphere-Associated Fungi Isolated From and .

Mangroves are one of the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems, with unique plants, animals, and microorganisms adapted to the harsh coastal environments. Although fungi are widely distributed in the mangrove ecosystem and they are playing an important role in the decomposition of organic matter, their genomic profiles are still poorly understood. In this study, we isolated seven Ascomycota fungi ( F012, F014, F023, F032, F033, F034, and F035) from rhizospheres of two mangroves of and .

Comparison of different sequencing strategies for assembling chromosome-level genomes of extremophiles with variable GC content.

In this study, six bacterial isolates with variable GC, including as mesophilic reference strain, were selected to compare hybrid assembly strategies based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of short reads, single-tube long-fragment reads (stLFR) sequencing, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing platforms. We obtained the complete genomes using the hybrid assembler Unicycler based on the NGS and ONT reads; others were assembled using NGS, stLFR, and ONT reads by using different strategies. The contiguity, accuracy, completeness, sequencing costs, and DNA material requirements of the investigated strategies were compared systematically.

The White-Spotted Bamboo Shark Genome Reveals Chromosome Rearrangements and Fast-Evolving Immune Genes of Cartilaginous Fish.

Chondrichthyan (cartilaginous fish) occupies a key phylogenetic position and is important for investigating evolutionary processes of vertebrates. However, limited whole genomes impede our in-depth knowledge of important issues such as chromosome evolution and immunity. Here, we report the chromosome-level genome of white-spotted bamboo shark.

The Chromosome Level Genome and Genome-wide Association Study for the Agronomic Traits of .

The Chinese ginseng is a domesticated herb with significant medicinal and economic value. Here we report a chromosome-level genome assembly with a high (∼79%) repetitive sequence content. The juxtaposition with the widely distributed, closely related Korean ginseng () genome revealed contraction of plant defense genes (in particular -genes) in the genome.

An ocular glymphatic clearance system removes β-amyloid from the rodent eye.

Despite high metabolic activity, the retina and optic nerve head lack traditional lymphatic drainage. We here identified an ocular glymphatic clearance route for fluid and wastes via the proximal optic nerve in rodents. β-amyloid (Aβ) was cleared from the retina and vitreous via a pathway dependent on glial water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4) and driven by the ocular-cranial pressure difference.

Chromosome-Level Comprehensive Genome of Mangrove Sediment-Derived Fungus HXQ-H-1.

is an ascomycetous genus widely distributed in the natural environment and is one of the dominant fungi involved in the decomposition of mangroves, which can produce a variety of antitumor compounds and bioactive substances. However, in mangrove ecosystems there is no complete genome in this genus. In this study, we isolated a fungus strain named HXQ-H-1 from coast mangrove (Fujian Province, China).

Comparative Plastome Analysis of Root- and Stem-Feeding Parasites of Santalales Untangle the Footprints of Feeding Mode and Lifestyle Transitions.

In plants, parasitism triggers the reductive evolution of plastid genomes (plastomes). To disentangle the molecular evolutionary associations between feeding on other plants below- or aboveground and general transitions from facultative to obligate parasitism, we analyzed 34 complete plastomes of autotrophic, root- and stem-feeding hemiparasitic, and holoparasitic Santalales. We observed inexplicable losses of housekeeping genes and tRNAs in hemiparasites and dramatic genomic reconfiguration in holoparasitic Balanophoraceae, whose plastomes have exceptionally low GC contents.

A chromosome-level assembly of the Atlantic herring genome-detection of a supergene and other signals of selection.

The Atlantic herring is a model species for exploring the genetic basis for ecological adaptation, due to its huge population size and extremely low genetic differentiation at selectively neutral loci. However, such studies have so far been hampered because of a highly fragmented genome assembly. Here, we deliver a chromosome-level genome assembly based on a hybrid approach combining a de novo Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) assembly with Hi-C-supported scaffolding.

Cortex-wide Changes in Extracellular Potassium Ions Parallel Brain State Transitions in Awake Behaving Mice.

Brain state fluctuations modulate sensory processing, but the factors governing state-dependent neural activity remain unclear. Here, we tracked the dynamics of cortical extracellular K concentrations ([K]) during awake state transitions and manipulated [K] in slices, during visual processing, and during skilled motor execution. When mice transitioned from quiescence to locomotion, [K] increased by 0.

A survey of the sperm whale () commensal microbiome.

Background: Mammalian commensal microbiota play important roles in the health of its host. In comparison to terrestrial mammals, commensal microbiota of marine mammals is mainly focused on the composition and function of skin and gut microbiota, with less attention paid to the health impact of bacteria and viruses. Previous studies on sperm whales () have affirmed their important phylogenetic position; however, studies on their commensal microbiota have not been published, due to difficulty in sample collection.